Obstacles to trade can be guise for protectionism, experts say

BEIJING - Despite a sharp reduction in the number of trade remedies against Chinese goods and services launched by trading partners last year, Chinese companies still face trade and investment barriers, the Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday.

In 2010, 66 trade remedy investigations, including anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and special protection measures, were launched by 16 major trade partners on China, according to a report issued by the Ministry of Commerce.

The investigations looked at trade with a potential value of $7.14 billion. The ministry has issued the report, which examines international trade barriers, since 2003.

The 2010 figure was far smaller than the 116 investigations launched in 2009, with a potential trade value of $12.7 billion.

Huo Jianguo, director of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the reason for the sharp drop was directly linked to the global economy, when China was seen as a handy scapegoat by some countries amid the full-blown financial crisis.